Airbus goes to China

Hainan Airlines has become a new customer of Airbus, signing a contract with the company for eight A319s.

The A319 itself is a member of the A320 Family, which consists of the A318, A319, A320 and A321.

The new aircraft will be mainly deployed on medium- and short-haul routes, with operational bases in Beijing, Xi’an and Haikou in China; they are scheduled for delivery from 2005 to 2007.

Founded in 1993, Hainan Airlines is the fourth largest airline group in China, with more than 100 aircraft operating on over 500 domestic and regional routes.

The news follows hard on the heels of last months’ announcement that the Turkish national carrier Turkish Airlines had signed a firm contract for the purchase of 36 Airbus single aisle and wide body aircraft.